Trade Show/Expo Calendar?

by **songwriter** » Fri Sep 20, 2019 9:38 pm

Hi all,

Does anyone know of where to find a calendar of events of music trade shows/expos where manufacturers display new products and retailers offer great show deals?

I used to go to them regularly in the NEC but haven't seen any for a while now. Do they still happen?

Thanks

Matthew

by **Mike Stranks** » Fri Sep 20, 2019 10:14 pm

Google is your friend...

https://www.isce.org.uk/the-institute/industry-events-calendar/

by **Dynamic Mike** » Sat Sep 21, 2019 3:28 am

Mike Stranks wrote:Google is your friend...

https://www.isce.org.uk/the-institute/industry-events-calendar/

Startpage is your friend. Google is your enemy :shh:

I'm genuinely looking at buying a Huawei because I trust Google less than I trust the Chinese government.

Useful link though, thanks :thumbup:

by **The Elf** » Sat Sep 21, 2019 8:17 am

Dynamic Mike wrote:Startpage is your friend. Google is your enemy :shh:

At last - someone else! I get to thinking I'm the only person who uses Startpage.

No way would I ever use Google.

by **Hugh Robjohns** » Sat Sep 21, 2019 11:28 am

Edited: TWO events notable by their absence from that list are, of course, SOS's own SYNTHFEST on October 5th in Sheffield.

https://www.synthfest.co.uk/

And SoundPro in London (Chiswick) on October 26th.

https://www.soundpro.org.uk/

by **The Elf** » Sat Sep 21, 2019 11:37 am

Hugh Robjohns wrote:One event notable by its absence from that list is, of course, SOS's own SYNTHFEST on October 5th in Sheffield.

https://www.synthfest.co.uk/

Miss it - regret it!

Oh, the stuff I wish I could tell! ;)

by **zenguitar** » Sat Sep 21, 2019 3:07 pm

The Elf wrote:
Dynamic Mike wrote:Startpage is your friend. Google is your enemy :shh:
At last - someone else! I get to thinking I'm the only person who uses Startpage.

Another long term Startpage user here.

Andy :beamup:

by **ConcertinaChap** » Sat Sep 21, 2019 4:07 pm

Just switched, we'll see how it goes.

CC

by **Sam Spoons** » Sat Sep 21, 2019 4:25 pm

Me too :thumbup:

I have Brave installed and can use DuckDuckGo with Tor for reasonable privacy but it does slow things down a little and I prefer the Safari/Google look which Safari/Startpage maintains.

by **Forum Admin** » Sat Sep 21, 2019 4:30 pm

There used to be a long-standing number of annual UK exhibitions related to audio and music technology/instruments, including the British Music Fair and APRS, Sounds Expo, LIMS... but over time, for many disparate reasons, they have disappeared.

Which is a shame as they were often the only place you could see/hear/play certain equipment.

Then came YouTube for audio-visual demos and online retailers with EU distance-selling directives that meant customers could order gear, try it at home/in the studio, and send back if not what they wanted.

by **Forum Admin** » Sat Sep 21, 2019 4:38 pm

Dynamic Mike wrote:Startpage is your friend. Google is your enemy :shh:

Interestingly, a quick Google search found this article, from which I am quoting:

"StartPage says that their searches are “enhanced by Google.” What this means in practice is that when you do a search using StartPage, they will take your search word(s) and feed them into Google themselves, and then pass on the search results to you.

Google will know what search words were used, but not that it was you who googled them. (Google won’t get your IP address.)"

Neat.

by **The Elf** » Sat Sep 21, 2019 4:54 pm

Startpage used to be IXQuick. They had two options - their own search engine and the version that used Google. A while back they got rid of their own search engine version, stuck on Google and re-named 'Startpage'.

I've been using IXQuick/Startpage for many, many years and it seems to do what it says. It makes me smile when I hear habitual Google users whining about ads following them around. I never get that.

by **ConcertinaChap** » Sat Sep 21, 2019 9:33 pm

The Elf wrote:It makes me smile when I hear habitual Google users whining about ads following them around. I never get that.

Same here, but then I rarely see ads at all. This comes from using Firefox with Ublock Origin, which is a superb ad blocker. Startpage does have one drawback as compared with Google and for me it's significant. If you search using google.co.uk rather than .com then you can choose to have results tailored to the UK. That option doesn't appear to me to exist with StartPage. If anyone knows different I'd be glad to hear.

CC

by **Dynamic Mike** » Sun Sep 22, 2019 1:35 am

ConcertinaChap wrote:If you search using google.co.uk rather than .com then you can choose to have results tailored to the UK. That option doesn't appear to me to exist with StartPage. If anyone knows different I'd be glad to hear.

CC

Advanced/Parameters/Country but it's only available after you've done your first search, it's not on the homepage. What I love about Startpage is they can never be forced to divulge your ip because they don't collect any data to disclose.

I use Adblock plus with Chrome, works well for youtube & most sites. I like SOS's sensible approach to Adblockers, so I stil block them on my PC but accept them on my phone & laptop. Seems fair to me.

by **Mike Stranks** » Sun Sep 22, 2019 8:51 am

Gordon Bennett!

"Google is your friend. (Other search engines are available)"

Is that better?

Of course, never use the expression, "I'm just doing the hoovering" because you may not actually be using a Hoover, just a vacuum cleaner. And don't dream of asking, "Anyone got a biro?" unless you're actually wanting to use a biro.

Generic term, lads... generic term.

Geekdom is alive and well and living in the SOS Forum...

:roll:

by **ConcertinaChap** » Sun Sep 22, 2019 9:06 am

Dynamic Mike wrote:Advanced/Parameters/Country but it's only available after you've done your first search, it's not on the homepage.

Thanks for that. It's a bit of a clunky implementation but it does work.

Dynamic Mike wrote:I like SOS's sensible approach to Adblockers, so I stil block them on my PC but accept them on my phone & laptop. Seems fair to me.

The problem for me with SOS ads is a lot of them flash or otherwise try to grab my attention and I really hate that. So I have an ad blocker but I also have an online subscription primarily to support the forum that I find so valuable, so that's how I square that particular circle.

CC

by **Brian M Rose** » Sun Sep 22, 2019 1:38 pm

Returning to the topic of trade shows themselves. For exhibitors, they are very, very expensive to attend. But they can also be very rewarding.
Travel and freight of equipment, staffing costs, rental of space, building stand, advertising, meals and accommodation....
So we are talking of several thousand pounds, maybe tens of thousands of pounds. The very big shows such as IBC and NAB do work. They tend to attract very large and very high-quality audiences. Now they are both Broadcast exhibitions and conferences (not live sound such as PLASA) but do have audio exhibitors.
I can't speak for Music exhibitions because this is not my area, but back in my days at OpTex - a Broadcast Dealer, Manufacturer and Rental Company, it tended to be well worthwhile. We did take orders (or a least started to ball rolling) of between £30K and £250.00K each and that was some 15 years ago.
For these large and expensive shows, the main argument was certainly the quality of the visitors. That means people who have that kind of buying power. And of course it's also a great opportunity to network; and that often means that the hotel bar is every bit as important.
Frankly, where we were positioned, if an exhibition charged visitors for entry then it was not really our area.
Brian Rose
Former Technical Manager OpTex Broadcast Rentals

SOUND ON SOUND

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Trade Show/Expo Calendar?